Seven area sites taking part in Ohio Open Doors event

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Aug 9, 2018 at 3:00 PM

ASHLAND — Seven sites in Ashland County will take part in Ohio Open Doors from Sept. 7 to 16.

Discover Ohio’s amazing heritage as historic buildings and landmarks across our state open their doors for special tours and events during the statewide event. Explore fascinating places that reflect Ohio’s rich heritage, some open especially for Ohio Open Doors events or offering behind-the-scenes looks that aren’t ordinarily available.

All Ohio Open Doors events are free. Most are special one-day-only opportunities.

You will be able to go to Loudonville from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 7, and enjoy a tour of the historic 1909 Loudonville Town Hall & Opera House, now known as the Ohio Theatre and Mayor’s Court in City Hall.

The Pleasant Hill Dam Tour will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 8. This behind the scenes tour includes the intake tower for the Pleasant Hill Dam in Perrysville. The earthen dam is 113 feet tall and was finished in 1936.

Dal-E-Nal Classics & Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take you on a trip down memory lane on Sept. 8. Here you will see fun memorabilia from the 40s and 50s. Fully restored Farmall & John Deere Tractors, R-190 International Truck, advertising signs, lighted gas pump, Pepsi pop machine, refrigerator, milker pump, pedal tractors, toy tractors, beer signs and much more!

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 15, you will be able to participate in a tour of early Ohio life. This tour will be of the historic Workman Cabin in Loudonville’s Central Park.

The Anderson Schoolhouse in Ashland will be open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15. The property is privately owned by Anderson Schoolhouse, LLC and operated by Dr. Carla Abreu-Ellis and Dr. J.B. Ellis. The main goal of the Anderson Schoolhouse program is to provide an appreciation of living history to the surrounding community.

The Vermillion Institute in Hayesville will be hosting an open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 16. There will be a reception and tours of all five levels, from the chapel to the tower. The Hayesville Opera House will also be open that day from 1 to 4 p.m. This historic landmark remains as one of the few examples of an American theater built in 1886.

The Ohio History Connection created Ohio Open Doors in 2016 to promote and inspire pride in Ohio’s heritage and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Oct. 15, 1966, the Act has proven instrumental in transforming the face of communities from coast to coast, establishing the legal framework and incentives to preserve historic buildings, landscapes, and archaeological sites. It drives economic revitalization by attracting investment, supporting small business, stabilizing neighborhoods, and creating jobs.

The Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office administers the National Historic Preservation Act in Ohio. Many of the landmarks featured in Ohio Open Doors events are in the National Register of Historic Places, which the National Historic Preservation Act created.

“Ohio Open Doors shares stories of important landmarks right in our backyard, highlighting the history and unique nature of some of Ohio’s most treasured historic places,” says Burt Logan, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection.

For more information about Ohio Open Doors, visit www.ohiohistory.org, www.visitashlandohio.com, call 419-281-4854 or 419-994-4050, or find these events on Facebook at https://business.facebook.com/AshlandCVB/.

Organization and promotion of these events are brought to you by the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, Ashland County Historical Society, and Ashland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In 2014, the Ohio Historical Society changed its name to the Ohio History Connection. Established in 1885, this nonprofit organization provides a wide array of statewide services and programs related to collecting, preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology and natural history through its more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio, including its flagship museum, the Ohio History Center in Columbus. For more information about programs and events, call 800-686-6124 or visit ohiohistory.org.